While the end of Anna Hazare’s hungerstrike on Saturday spread cheer among hundreds of social activists and commoners demonstrating across Bihar and Jharkhand, a sense of cynicism about corruption remained pervasive and comparisons were drawn between Mr Hazare and Jayprakash Narayan.
Despite the mood of celebration at scores of demonstration sites in the two states, which figure among the most corrupt in the country, participants who had sat for four days supporting Mr Hazare’s demands on the drafting of the Lokpal Bill said the proposed new institution might not be enough to combat corruption. But they all described the noted Gandhian social activist as a brave man and the Central government’s bending as a promising beginning.
“I do not think the Lokpal’s office will be able to effectively deal with corruption and establish probity in the nation, where corruption springs from an alliance between Delhi and Mumbai, between politics and the financial markets,” said Gandhain thinker Razi Ahmed. “While Hazare’s brave move had the common man’s support, politicians had joined in to create drama,” added Mr Ahmed, secretary of Patna’s Gandhi museum. Although the UPA government’s succumbing to Mr Hazare’s demands was widely hailed as a victory for democracy, dissenting voices were plenty.